Door-operating mechanism



Patented June 27, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

\A/flham EHagEn W. F. HAGEN.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATiON FILED- FEB. 28, 1921.

4x (B hm W W. F. HAGEN.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1921.

Patented J 11110 27, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\nlIHIam F. Hagen W 4 @a 0m 61 o- UNITED STATES WILLIAM F. HAGEN, 0F MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN.

DOOR-OPERATIN G MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 27,1922.

application filed February 28, 1921. Serial No. 448,634.

. To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. HAGEN, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Manitowoc, in the county of Manitowoc and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Opcrating Mechanism; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention refers to door operating mechanisms and it has for its primary object to provide a simple, economical and effective fluid controlled means for operating doors from a master controlling valve, whereby the door or doors may be opened and closed quickly, and with the least possible expenditure of power.

Special objects of my invention are:

To provide a pair of pneumatically actuated pistons for opening and closing the door, the same being associated with a fluid control latch and release means, whereby the door is first unlocked, followed by a movement of one of the pistons to open it.

To provide a horizontally swinging balanced door, with means under fluid control for automatically swinging the door upwardly, whereby it is opened, and to automatically permit the door to move by gravity to closed osition, therebeing means associated with t e mechanism" under fluid cont-r01 whereby the door is automatically unlocked prior to its being opened, and positively brought to a full closed position when said door has swung to a partially closed posi tion.

With the-above and other minor objects in View, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combinat on of parts, as are hereinafter set forth with reference to the accompanying drawlngs and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings: 7

Figure. 1 represents a diagrammatic elevation of a door operating mechanism embodying the features of my invention, parts being broken away and other parts in section to more clearly illustrate structural features, the door being shown in its closed position.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the door in its full open pos tion, and

Figures 3 and 4 are detail views of a sheave element employed in carrying out my invention.

Referring by characters to the drawings, numeral 1 represents a doorway formed in the side wall 2 of a building. The inner face of the door frame constitutes a track 3 for rollers 4, which rollers are mounted upon the lower end of a horizontally swinging door 5 that serves as a closure for the opening 1. The door carries centrally disposed trunnions 6 which are mounted in the ends of links .7, the said links being pivotally secured at their upper ends to the inner face of the wall 2 by brackets 7. It is understood that the rollers, links and associated parts are duplicated at opposite sides of the door. Secured to thelower end of the door are flexible runners 8, which runners, in this instance, are shown as cables, but in practice, sprocket'cha-ins may be employed.

The runners are trained over pulleys 9, which pulleys are secured to a shaft 9, and the upper ends of the runners are suitably anchored to the building and formed with a looped portion 8 adapted to receive the rollers of counter-balance weights 10. In prac ties, the pulleys 9 are obviously in the form of sprocket gear wheels, which are associated with the runners or chains. By this arrangement, or its mechanical equivalent, the door is counterrbalanced to the extent that its weight is only sufficient to permit it to drop by gravity to closed position. Hence, very little power is required for raising it.

In order to positively control the movements of the door, I provide an opening cylinder 11 and a closing cylinder .12, which may be termed main cylinders, in this instance, are pivotally mounted at the heel ends to a bracket 13. The opening cylinder is provided with a reciprocative piston rod 11 and the closing cylinder a corresponding piston rod 12, which rods project beyond the head ends of the" cylinders as shown. The piston rod 11' of the opening cylinder is connected by a flexible runner 14 to one of the grooved faces of a sheave l5, and as best shown in F igure 3, the runner is adapted to be spirally coiled about the sheave hub in clockwise direction, and anchored thereto at its inner end. A runner 14 is similarly coiled about another face of the sheave, but in an anti-clockwise direction, it being understood that such sheave is secured to the pulley shaft 9.

Hence it will be seen that when the piston rod 11 of the opening cylinderis moved toward the heel of the cylinder, it will cause rotation of the shaft 9 in one direction, where by the coiled end of the runner about the sheave will unwind, and as this unwinding of the runner 14 is effected, rotation of the sheave will cause the runner 12 of the closing cylinder to rewind or coil about, its

sheave face, while its associated piston rod will move from the heel of the cylinder toward its head.

Hence, it will be observed that owing to the cylinders being pivoted at their heel ends, they will rock slightly and compensate for the varying difference between the axis of the sheave, due to coiling and uncoihng. In order to prevent the cylinders from sagging, they each have attached thereto a counter-balance coil spring 11 and 12 respectively.

\Vhen the door is in its closed position, as shown in Figure 1, it is locked'by a pivoted dog or latch 15, the nose of the same being arranged to engage a finger 15 that 1s affixed to the upper end of the door, it being understood that two of said latches may be used in practice.

The latch is in link connection with a camlever 16, which cam lever is pivoted to an auxiliary cylinder 17 that is fast to the side wall 2. The nose of the cam lever is arranged to be engaged by a double reciprocative cam 16', which cam is secured to'a plunger rod 18 that is mounted in the cylinder and extends through and is guided in the apertured head thereof. The plunger rod within the cylinder carries a piston 18 and the outer end of the plunger rod has secured thereto a door gripping finger 19, which finger, when the door is closed, engages a clip 20 that constitutes part of an arm 21, the lower end of which is secured to the upper portion of the door 5. The upper end 21 of the arm 21 projects in the path of travel of the lunger rod 18 and its associated finger 19. ence, when the plunger rod is moved outwardly, it will be seen that the initial movement thereof will, due to its cam control of the latch 15, unlock the door and a further travel in the same direction will cause the headed end of the plunger rod to engage the end 21' of the door arm, whereby the upper end of said door is swung outwardly a predetermined distance upon an arc of a circle described about the axis of the door rollers 4. This initial swing of the door upon an arc of a circle, struck from its base, will cause the link 7 and its trunnion 6. which supports the door midway, to swing past the line of draft of the runner 8, whereby the main lifting cylinder may function.

The fluid control mechanism comprising the actuating main cylinders 11, 12 and auxiliary cylinders 17 respectively are arranged to receive fluid under pressure. preferably air, from a supply conduit 22, which conduit is connected to a master valve casing 23 that is diagrammatically expressed. A pipe or conduit 24 is connected to the valve casing and the rear end of the cylinder 17, being a flexible branch pipe 24 which leads from the conduit 24 to the head end of the open-' ing cylinder 11.

Another pipe or conduit 25 is connected to the valve casing and the forward end of the cylinder 12, this pipe being provided with a flexible branch pipe 25 which is connected to the head end of the closing cylinder 12. The supply conduit 25 near its discharge end, which isassociated with the cylinder 17, is provided with a valve having an actuating stem 26 terminating in the form of a spanner, and a rod 27 whichextends from the cam 16 carries a tappet pin 27, which tappet pin is adapted to engage the spanner end of the valve stem 26, whereby said valve is actuated.

Thus it should be understood that when the tappet pin 27 is in the position shown in Figure 1 with relation to the valve stem, the valve is opened to permitthe cylinder 17 to exhaust, should the plunger and its associated piston be moved forwardly.

The master valve casing 23 is also provided. with ports 25 and 24" respectively, which ports, as shown, are spaced a suitable distance apart from their associated conduits 24 and 25.

A rotary valve plug 28 is mounted in the valve casing 23, the same being formed with a central air supply channel 29, which channel communicates with a circular channel port 29; formed about the outer wall of the plug and in constant communication with the main air supply conduit 22. Upon another plane the valve plug is formed with radial ports 24" and 25", which ports are adapted to establish communication between t eir associated conduits 24 and 25 respectively. The valve plug is also formed with an annular exhaust port 30, which port, in this exemplification of my invention, approximately extends throug a distance of 180 degrees. When the valve plug is in its normal neutral posit-ion, its actuating handle 31 assumes a vertical position, in which position the air supply ports 24" 25" are u u n equal dlstances from their associated conduits 24 and 25, and these conduits have each established communication with the common exhaust port 30, which port also establishes communication between said conduits and the exhaust ports 24" and 25".

From the foregoing description, assuming that the door or doors are closed, as shown in the diagrammatic view of Figure 1, should the operatordesire to open the door, the valve plug is swung in an anticlockwise direction or from right to left, whereby communication is establishedbehven the supply conduit 22 and the conduit 24 through the radial port 24. The fluid under pressure is thereby admitted to the head end of the opening main cylinder 11 and to the rear end of the auxiliary cylinder 17. It will be noted, however, that the valve controlled by stem 26 and pipe connection 25 to the master valve is opened to atmosphere at this time and through the branch connection 25'. The head end of the closing cylinder is also opened to atmospheric pressure. The air pressurewill thus be exerted upon the open piston 11' and the piston head 18' of the auxiliary cylinder. The lifting power thus applied to runner 8 is ineffective, due to theposition of the link 7 and its trunnion 6 with relation to the strain exerted by runner 8. Hence these parts are locked and the air pressure back of the plunger piston 18' will cause said piston to move outwardly.

The first outward impulse of'the plunger 18 will cause the cam 16 to engage the cam lever 16, whereby the door latch will be released from its finger 15, thus the door is now free to swing in the arc of a circle about its point of rest.

The next; outward movement of the plunger 18 will cause theflnger 19 at the end thereof, to engage the end of the door arm 21', whereby 'said door is positively locked upon its base. orroller4 through a redetermined distance, whereby the links and the associated trunnions, which are connected with the door, will swing beyond the line of draft of the runner 8, and, in effect, break the lock joint.

The fluid pressure which enters the head end of the opening cylinder 11, will now exert its force, whereby the sheave 15" will be rotated and in its rotation, wind up the runners or chains 8, whereby the door will gradually ride upwardly to its full open position, as indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings;

Just before the plunger rod 18 has completed its forward movement, the tappet pin 27, carried thereby, will engage the valve actuating stem 26 to positively rock the same and cut off exhaust communication between the fluid conductor and the head end of the auxiliary cylinder 17.

Owing to the counter balance weight 10, the door will remain in its open position suspended clear for vehicle travel thereunder.

Hence, this actionwill cause the lower end of the door to ride upwardly, and be guided in its upward travel by the rollers 11 traveling upon the surface of the track. while at thesame time the links, which control outward swinging movement of the door, will permit the upper end of said door to rock about the trunnions 6, whereby the door will assume a full open position, as lndicated n the diagrammatic view of Figure 2. In this position, the outer or free end of the door is held in suspension by anchored chains or cables 32 that are fast to the wall 2.

As shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the

master valve handle is then swung back to its neutral position, or if desired, acentering spring mechanism can be associated with the handle, whereby it will automatically assume its vertical control position when the operator releases it. In this neutral position, it is understood that the fluid control mechanism comprising the three cylinders and their associated parts are allopen to exhaust and thus are vented.

Attention is directed to the fact that when the opening cylinder 11 is functioning to swin the door to its horizontal full open position, the fluid under pressure entering the cylinder 11 and which rotates the sheave 15" will automatically rewind the runner 14: which is associated with the piston rod 12 and main closing cylinder 12. Thus, this rewind of the runner 14' is'tautly effected, due to the fact that a predetermined amount of back pressure is developed in the head end of the cylinder 12, so as to gently retard winding of the runner 14' upon its sheave face. This action is effected, due to a restriction of the exhaust ports and conduits relative to the arrangement ofthe cylinder. Obviously, the same result is obtained with relation to the'openingv cylinder when the closing cylinder is functioning. In other words thesecompanion cylinders operate alternately under fluid pressure.

When it is desired to close the door, the operator shifts the valve plug from its neutral position, as shown in Figure 1, in a clockwise direction or from left to right, whereby communication is established from the source of fluid supply to the conduit. 25. Owing to the'fact that the valve which is controlled by the stem 26 and its tappet is closed. fluid enterin the pipe 25 cannot initially escape into tile cylinder 17, but said fluid enters the head end of the closing cylinder 12 and thereby causes its associated piston and runner connection with the sheave 15, to revolve said sheave and its associated shaft in a clockwise direction, uhereby the chains or runners 8 will, in opposition to the counter-balance weight, pay off toward their point of anchorage, with relation to the bottom of the door and thus the lower end or the door will, by gravity, slowly move. down under guidance of its rollers 4, while at. the same time it is swinging upon the trunnions 6 which are mounted in the ends of the links 7. This action continues until such time as the end 21' of the door arm 21 abuts the head end of the plunger rod 18. and said plunger rod is momentarily cushioned as it moves inwardly, due to the restricted arrangement of the exhaust at its rear end.

Following this cushioning action of the upper end of the door. the stem of valve 26 is opened by'backward movement of the tap pet pin 27'. and when this action takes place; it will be observed that the finger 19 of the lunger rod 18 has gripped the clip 20.

luid under pressure is now admitted to the head end of the cylinder 17 and the upper end of the door is positively drawn tightly, closed by this action, irrespective of any pressure that may have a tendency to oppose closing the door. It follows that after the door has been completely closed, the looking latches 15 Will automatically-drop into engagement with their associated fingers and the parts are then in position to again be operated.

As indicated in the diagrammatic view of Figure 1, an audible signal of the electric t pe may "be: employed in connection with the master valve, whereby when the handle 31 of said valve is shifted to an opening position or to a closing position, it will automatically close a bell circuit 33, whereby an alarm Will be continually sounded until the circuit is broken, due to position of the master valve' bein shifted to neutral. Hence, the alarm w1ll be sounded just prior to the door being opened or closed.

While I have shown and described one way of carrying out my invention in all of its details, obviously I may, without departing from the spirit of the.=invention, vary such details with the scope of the claims as they will hereinafter be interpreted by the skilled mechanic or designer, as for example, the mechanism generically can be employed for operating hinge doors of the vertical swinging type sliding doors, or the like, and while I have particularly solved the problem to be used in connection with garages, it is understood that this mechanism can be employed in fire barns, public buildings, or other structures wherein it is ad-. vantageous to operate doors automatically from a distant point, either in single units or in series.

I claim: v a

1. A fluid controlled operating mechanism for doors comprising an open main cylinder and a closing main cylinder, an operating connection between each cylinder and the door including a runner, a fluid controlled initial opening and final closing auxiliary cylinder engageable with the door, a fluid supply and exhaust valve connecting the head ends of the main cylinders, and opposite ends of the auxiliary cylinder, whereby fluid, under pressure, is selectively introduced into the opening cylinder and auxiliary cylinder or into the closing cylinder and auxiliary cylinder to positively control the door in either a full opening operation or a full closing operation.

2. A fluid controlled operating mechanism for horizontally swinging doors comprising a main opening cylinder and a main closing cylinder, a piston in each cylinder, a revolv able double sheave connected to the door, a runner extending from each piston trained over the sheave in opposite directions, afluidactuating auxiliary cylinder associated with the main cylinders for controlling initialmovement of the door in an opening operation and final movement of the door in a closing operation, and a master valve for selectively directing fluid under pressure to the opening cylinder and auxiliary cylinder or to the closing cylinder and auxiliary cylinder.

3. In a horizontally swinging door, suspension links pivotally' connecting the door at an intermediate point and means for guiding the door at its lower end; the combination of a fluid controlled mechanisnrcomprising an opening cylinder and a closing cylinder, a two faced sheave flexibly connected to the lower end of the doorand to the cylinders, a fluid controlled plunger rod for initially starting the door in an opening movement and for finally closing the door, a master valve, means for supplying fluid under pressure, a conduit leading from the valve connecting the opening cylinder and the fluid controlled plunger rod mechanism, and a second conduit leading from the valve to the closing cylinder. and fluid controlled plunger mechanism.

4. A fluid controlled mechanism for operating doors comprising a main cylinder for partially opening the door and a main cylinder for partially closing the door, an operative connection between each cylinder and the door including'a runner, a fluid controlled auxiliary cylinder for initially actuating the door in an opening movement and for finally closing the door in a closing movement, and a fluid supply and exhaust valve in communication with the cylinder, whereby the auxiliary cylinderis selectively placed in fluid connection with either of the main cylinders. v

5. A controlling mechanism for horizontally-swinging doors comprising an initial starting and final closing auxiliary cylinder, a reciprocat1ve plunger therein, a cam carried by the piston, a latch and release mechanism for'the door under control of the cam,

an arm extending from the door, detachable means associated with the plunger for exerting power upon the arm in either direction when the door is in a partially closed or partially open position, fluid supply pi es connected to the ends of the cylinder, a va ve in one of the pipes, a tappet carried bythe plunger rod for controlling the valve, fluid controlled opening and closing cylinders, and means for selectively introduclng fluid under pressure to either the opening or clos- 1ng cyl nder, and the initial starting and closing cylinder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

WILLIAM F. HAGEN. 

